The Greeks votedno to the European Union's terms, despite warnings from the EU that rejecting new austerity terms would set their country on a path out of the Eurozone. 62% voted "No" while 38% voted "Yes".
The President of the Republic shall by decree proclaim a referendum on crucial national matters following a resolution voted by an absolute majority of the total number of Members of Parliament, taken upon proposal of the Cabinet. A referendum on Bills passed by Parliament regulating important social matters, with the exception of the fiscal ones shall be proclaimed by decree by the President of the Republic, if this is decided by three-fifths of the total number of its members, following a proposal of two-fifths of the total number of its members, and as the Standing Orders and the law for the application of the present paragraph provide. No more than two proposals to hold a referendum on a Bill can be introduced in the same parliamen- tary term. Should a Bill be voted, the time-limit stated in article 42 paragraph 1 begins the day the referendum is held.
So the first sentence allows the president to proclaim a referendum on crucial national matters. I think one can argue that this referendum was about crucial national matters.
The second sentence (the one you partially quoted) gives specific regulations for a referendum on bills passed by parliament. This referendum clearly was not about a bill passed by parliament, and therefore that sentence does not apply.
-- The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by maxwell demon on Monday July 06 2015, @08:40PM
Here's the full text of 44.2:
So the first sentence allows the president to proclaim a referendum on crucial national matters. I think one can argue that this referendum was about crucial national matters.
The second sentence (the one you partially quoted) gives specific regulations for a referendum on bills passed by parliament. This referendum clearly was not about a bill passed by parliament, and therefore that sentence does not apply.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.